Daly's
comments were interesting. They talked about Saada's conversion to Christianity
and how God kept working on him, wore him down and finally he gave in and
accepted Christ. A moved Daly reflected that no one can be 'beaten' into the
Kingdom.
He also
talked about how God is a giver and lover of life and that the urge to kill
others is something that comes right from the pit.
Indeed we
can agree with Daly that the foot soldiers of the PLO are inspired by Satan.
We can
certainly give a hearty 'amen' to such sentiments and can also rejoice in
Saada's conversion. The American-influenced theology he expressed during the
interview was a little troubling but we can leave that aside.
I was more
troubled by what I can only call the astounding incoherence of Daly's views, an
incoherence that is not just mental but moral and has manifested itself in this
rather striking but hypocritical interview.
No one is 'beaten'
into the Kingdom? That's an interesting statement coming from the head of a
'ministry' that has spent over thirty years trying to shape the laws of the
nation, to coerce people to accept Christian morality and have it enforced by
men with badges and guns.
This of
course simply displays not only a certain contempt for the principles of the
country they profess to love but also a real ignorance of Biblical doctrine.
Nothing in the New Testament suggests this is the course of action given to the
Christian Church and in fact there is a great deal of evidence to suggest
otherwise. I'll admit that their actions are (in part) conducted in ignorance,
but considering they are a multi-million dollar operation that purports to
uphold Biblical values, and speak for Christians in America, they are indeed
accountable.
Even though
this effort has lessened with the obscured and deceptive firing of James Dobson,
the 'ministry' still labours to this end and promotes the same causes. Until
his death Charles Colson still appeared on the programme promoting the same
Dominionism that has forged the agenda of the Christian Right. There has been
no ideological shift, merely a shift in emphasis.
I wonder
would Daly be willing to give an interview to an American sniper who converted
to Christianity and renounced the US military's culture of death and/or the
aims and agenda of the United States? I think not. I don't think such a conversion
would be viewed as legitimate.
Promoting
the US Empire is pretty standard fare on Focus on the Family. And when Clint
Eastwood made a sniper movie about Chris Kyle, the Focus reviewers refer to him
as an 'unalloyed hero'. In his case, invading another country and killing its
women and children was a heroic act. For those who embrace Dominionism and its
language of Vocation, I guess we could say Kyle was just worshipping the Lord.
While Daly
and those like him would find it offensive to equate US soldiers with members
of the PLO, I will only say this... As a Christian I reject war and those who
wage them but on a human level, at least the Palestinians were and are fighting
for the recovery of lands cruelly taken from them and their violence is rooted
in the occupation of their lands and the brutalization of their people.
Are they
violent killers? Yes. They've learned it well from the American backed
Israelis. Death begets death. I wonder if Chris Kyle was thinking of Matthew
26.52 as he lay dying?
The US
hasn't fought a truly defensive war since the early 19th century.
Apart from (perhaps) World War II all US military action has been essentially
expansionist, rooted in Nationalistic aims or Imperial interests. Many will
scoff at that statement, but that is due to either deeply ingesting the
propaganda of the Empire or a moral failure to reflect on the true nature of
America's policy and doctrine.
Empires are
built on theft and murder and it is in that light that we as Christians ought
to view its foot soldiers and those that approve of their deeds. To make them 'heroes'
is morally offensive. To make them into religious martyrs and saviours is
blasphemy. The form of Christianity that legitimizes these actions, casts them
in terms of Christian doctrine and venerates them is heretical.
